Nikon D90 or D300? Opinions wanted

[DisneySuiteFreak]

I can either get the D90 or D300, and of course I'm torn as to what to do. I hear they both have similar ISO capabilities, but frankly, the photos I've seen online from the D90 look a little soft for some strange reason. So I'm leaning toward the D300 for just a few hundred more. BUT, I am wondering if it will be too much camera for me as I am still learning. I heard they don't have any scene modes, but I never use them anyway. Is it a hella complicated camera to learn or is the learning curve for use on par with the D80? (That's what I have now.) I take a ton of low light photos so that's the primary reason I am considering upgrading my camera.
Thanks for any help, opinion, insight...
DSF

 

[qtzar]

Do you make money from your photography?

If you do then get the d300, if not then get the d90 and use the $600 you'll save on the 18-200 lens.

The d90 is a very good camera, especially for low light shots like this one I took at night with no flash.

 

[handicap18]

If you don't use the "scene" modes on the D80 then that part wont have a learning curve. I went from a D50 to a D300 with no problems at all. The only thing was getting used to all of the different options and learning where the buttons were. That didn't take much time.

The high ISO performance on both the D90 and D300 are excellent. The focusing on the D300 is better. Much better. It's also a bigger body, much more of a solid build. The viewfinder is 100% coverage. The metering sensor is more sophisticated, you can fine tune AF on Nikkor lenses and its shutter is rated at 50% higher than the D90.

This dosen't mean that the D300 is better for you than the D90. The D90 should pretty much do everything you would need when it comes to taking pictures. The D300 will be better at sports with the higher FPS and better auto focusing system.

Is the D300 worth the extra money.....? thats up to each individual.

 

[mouselovenfamily]

I have the d90 and really like it. As far as soft photos, in my case it's probably me not the camera I still have so much to learn but it is a nice camera. I wanted it for the movie mode. If you can afford the 300 and the movie mode isn't important to you it is more camera. Good luck!

 

[wenrob]

I have the D90 and love it. It's pushed me out of my comfort zone which is a good thing. As far as soft photos go I would think that would be a lens or user issue not the camera. I get consistently sharp pictures with it and 18-105mm VR.

 

[spinetnglr]

I can either get the D90 or D300, and of course I'm torn as to what to do. I hear they both have similar ISO capabilities, but frankly, the photos I've seen online from the D90 look a little soft for some strange reason. So I'm leaning toward the D300 for just a few hundred more. BUT, I am wondering if it will be too much camera for me as I am still learning. I heard they don't have any scene modes, but I never use them anyway. Is it a hella complicated camera to learn or is the learning curve for use on par with the D80? (That's what I have now.) I take a ton of low light photos so that's the primary reason I am considering upgrading my camera.
Thanks for any help, opinion, insight...
DSF

I have the same dilemma - D90 or D300. I currently have a D40 and would like to upgrade. I have been out to the shops and handled both of them. I like them both. I can't see that I would ever use the video option of the D90 so I am sort of leaning towards the D300. I know the D300 is quite a bit heavier than the D90 which might be a concern for some. I'll be watching this thread too to see how others weigh in on the pros and cons of the two.

 

[wenrob]

I have the same dilemma - D90 or D300. I currently have a D40 and would like to upgrade. I have been out to the shops and handled both of them. I like them both. I can't see that I would ever use the video option of the D90 so I am sort of leaning towards the D300. I know the D300 is quite a bit heavier than the D90 which might be a concern for some. I'll be watching this thread too to see how others weigh in on the pros and cons of the two.

After more then a year of using the D40 and then going to the D90 my wrists ached the first couple of weeks with the added weight until I got used to it. This is after handling it quite a bit in the store and remarking that "it wasn't much heavier then the D40." So if weight is a concern that might be something to keep in mind.

 

[fitzperry]

Would you use the video mode on the D90? I know a lot of people are not thrilled with the notion of video capability on a dslr, but I think it would be a great feature to have, and the few videos I've seen on line taken with a D90 have looked pretty impressive.

As for the softness you've seen, that could be attributable to a number of factors (lens used, post processing, etc.), so I'm not sure I'd put too much stock in it. When I bought my D70, I took a CF card into my local store and took a bunch of shots with the D70 and the original digital Rebel to compare. I took the card home and studied the images. Is that something you might be able to do?

I upgraded from the D70 to the D300 in the spring because I wanted a new camera for a big trip we took this summer. If I were making the decision today, I'm honestly not sure what I'd so, but I've not been disappointed with the D300. I love it. It's worth the upgrade for the high ISO capability alone. The extra autofocus points are great as well. Then again, I'd like the video on the D90, and as a rather petite person with small hands, the extra heft of the D300 is not a plus. It doesn't help much in making the decision, but you'd probably be happy with either one.

 

[Chikabowa]

Soft photos are usually more user-error than the camera's fault!

There is no Auto mode on the D300, but there are Program, Aperture, Shutter, and Manual functions; so if know how to use those various exposure modes, you should be fine. It also is heavier than the D40 or the D90, bigger body, more weather stripping, better performance at higher ISO's.
Really and honestly, you are asking about the different between a consumer body and a semi-professional series body. I don't know what your needs are or what you primarily shoot, so it's hard to make the recommendation.
The D90 is an awesome little machine. I my back up is the D80 and even that little thing performs really well. I guess it really comes down to how much you want to spend, where your skills are, what you shoot, and how far you need to push the technology that you buy.

 

[spinetnglr]

After more then a year of using the D40 and then going to the D90 my wrists ached the first couple of weeks with the added weight until I got used to it. This is after handling it quite a bit in the store and remarking that "it wasn't much heavier then the D40." So if weight is a concern that might be something to keep in mind.

I totally agree! To the OP ... go to the stores and handle both before you decide one over the other. The D300 with a battery installed is just over 2 lbs before you add a lens or flash. The D90 weighs in at about 1 1/2 lbs with no lens or flash attached.

 

[YesDear]

I agree with everything else that has been said. I do not have a D90 but do have a D300. I LOVE my D300. I am a big guy and have been carrying heavy Nikons for 30 yrs so the size feels natural to me. Put a motor drive on an old F2 and see how it feels!!!! I think the D40 feels like a toy in my hand.

If you are still a novice the D90 would probably be better. There are about 200+ optional settings on the D300 and I feel you need to have a good photographic background to take advantage to what it can do.

I agree with the comment to use the extra money on a quality lens!

 

[YesDear]

I agree with everything else that has been said. I do not have a D90 but do have a D300. I LOVE my D300. I am a big guy and have been carrying heavy Nikons for 30 yrs so the size feels natural to me. Put a motor drive on an old F2 and see how it feels!!!! I think the D40 feels like a toy in my hand.

If you are still a novice the D90 would probably be better. There are about 200+ optional settings on the D300 and I feel you need to have a good photographic background to take advantage to what it can do.

I agree with the comment to use the extra money on a quality lens!

 

[rutgers1]

I upgraded a couple of months ago from a D70 to a D90. The difference is significant, particularly in low light situations. I have gotten photos with my D90 that I NEVER would have gotten with the D70......But that wasn't your question. Unless you are obsessed with cameras and are going to play around with every option imaginable, or if you are a professional, I don't see you needing the D300.

Although I wouldn't consider myself a "professional" photographer, I do take photos for a prominent sports web site and often take those photos in tricky low light situations (inside a basketball arena, night football games). The results with the D90 have been superb. They have surpassed all of my wildest expectations.......So, unless you are shooting in even trickier situations than that, you should be fine with the D90. But then again, if the money isn't an issue, I guess it doesn't matter.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I was looking at the dpreview page for the D90 and saw in the comparisons that there wasn't as much detail in the pictures from the D90 as in the comparison photos. Those pictures are here:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond90/page20.asp If you go trough the rest of the comparisons on subsequent pages, there are others that look similar -- like they're soft or some detail is missing compared to the Canon, Pentax and even the D80. I believe they used the 50mm prime for all tests, so the D80 and 90 would have used the same exact lens and everything is tripod mounted in the same position.
Anyway, I guess I have a lot to ponder.
For the other posters who posted about getting better glass, I already have a 18-200VR along w/ the 18-135, Sigma 10-20, 50 1.8, 85 1.8, I just ordered the Sigma 30 1.4 and the Sigma 18-50 2.8. (Doing my part to help stimulate the U.S. economy! )Thinking about getting the Nikon 35 2.0 to see which is better the Sigma 30 vs Nikon 35. I heard great things about both, but am leaning toward the 30 just because I do mostly low light photography and that's an extra stop. I am an amateur hobbyist gear freak I guess.
After thinking about it, I'm leaning now sorta toward the D90 just because I just realised there is no way I could hand the camera over to DH or DS and ask them to take a picture if I bought the D300. They wouldn't know what to do with it. That makes me somewhat sad because I really was leaning toward the D300 before I thought about all this... Keep the opinions coming... Unfortunately where I live we only have Ritz camera and Best Buy. They had the D90 which was giving me the F--- error because the lens wasn't seated right and no one would fix it. (Have to disconnect security thing to fix.) So I couldn't try it. No one had the D300 in stock. They had the D700 at Ritz! That's way too much camera for me.
ETA: Oh yeah I forgot I also have the 70-300VR lens! NAS!

 

[fitzperry]

After thinking about it, I'm leaning now sorta toward the D90 just because I just realised there is no way I could hand the camera over to DH or DS and ask them to take a picture if I bought the D300. They wouldn't know what to do with it. That makes me somewhat sad because I really was leaning toward the D300 before I thought about all this... Keep the opinions coming... Unfortunately where I live we only have Ritz camera and Best Buy. They had the D90 which was giving me the F--- error because the lens wasn't seated right and no one would fix it. (Have to disconnect security thing to fix.) So I couldn't try it. No one had the D300 in stock. They had the D700 at Ritz! That's way too much camera for me.

I don't think I'd let that influence your decision too much. It still has "P" mode. And you can also set things up for them. I had my mil take a few pictures of us w/ my D300 today, and she's as much of a novice as you'll ever find. I just took a few test shots to make sure the settings were right and handed it over to her. Composition leaves a bit to be desired, but I can crop, and a D90 wouldn't have made that any better

It's too bad you can't try both of them somewhere.

 

[Jeff Fillmore]

What do you use the camera for? Do you need the weather sealing and bigger buffer the D300 has? Are you interested in shooting video with this camera?

Me personally- I would opt for the D300 just for the buffer. When you look at the specs you see 6fps vs. 4.5fps which seems close but really is only part of the equation. Without a larger buffer that rate will slow down dramatically after just a few shots- particularly if you shoot in RAW. Even with the grip on my D300 at 8fps you can easily shoot 20+ shots continuously and the camera never backs down. For sports- action- birds in flight- etc. that is quite nice.

 

[Zoesmama03]

Wow thanks for the thread. I think about upgrade but its a long way in my future. I have a lot of saving to do as well as learning. I love the video function idea but now I think I'd rather go D300 if focus is better. I'm struggling to try to get great focus on D80 but just don't see it and I get frustrated.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

I just found out that Ritz now has both cameras in stock, so I'm going to check them out probably tomorrow. Most likely I wouldn't use the video mode on the D90. I keep reading about the CMOS sensor and rolling shutter issues. I don't know if I have the time or inclination to learn how to deal with that in addition to learning a new camera.
I'll post what I decide just as soon as I make up my mind. I know it sounds crazy to worry about DH or DS being able to use the camera, but, for example, when my DS went to the Prom, I had to work. So I had my DH take pictures using my D80 in auto mode. (They came out great!) I wasn't there to set the camera up for him, KWIM? More than likely, if I get a new camera, I'll probably end up selling my D80. arrgg...maybe I should just chill out and wait. I'm still a total noob amateur who has a strong desire to improve, takes a ton of low light pics, and who thinks that the new improved sensor will help me to take better low light photos. Plus if I upgrade to the D300, that means all of my stuff (SD cards, wired and wireless remotes, extra battery - what else?) needs to be replaced which means even more $$$$. My husband says my hobby is like chasing the rainbow...

 

[Jeff Fillmore]

My husband says my hobby is like chasing the rainbow...

LOL- Tell him you want to take up boating- or 1000 other way more expensive hobbies.

 

[missminniemouse]

Just before our trip to WDW last month I bought the D90 with a Tamron 18-270 VR lens. It was a wonderful combination to work with. I only wish I had more time before the trip to learn the camera better, although it was fun learning on the go. I had read the manual in advance, but still found a couple situations where I had to refer back to it to resolve issues I had during the day. I took around 1000 photos and haven't had the chance to look at them critically yet....probably after the Christmas rush is over. What I've seen so far has made me very happy with my choice of equipment.